Method of coloring brick



Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,183

- F. w. BUTTERWORTH mmnon OF COLORING BRICK Filed March 3, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Mar. 3, 1925.- j 1,528,183

F. W. BUTTERWORTH METHOD OF COLORING BRICK Filed March 5, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JFwerZZZ? Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED 1,528,183 PATENT" JOFFICE.

FRANK w. BUTTERWORTH, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR T0 WESTERN BhICK I COMPANY, OF DANVILLE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

METHOD on oonomno BRICK.

Application filed March 3, 1921. Serial No. 449,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. BUTTER- WORTH, a'citizen. of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of Coloring Brick, of .whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved method for coloring articles of plastic material, and more particularly to a bricks.

method for coloring the surfaces of building bricks.

For use as face brick, it is often highly desirable that there be given the brick a face of .a color other than that obtained by the burning of ordinary brick clay. A number of methods have been evolved to form colored Coloring matter has been mixed throughout the brick forming material in certain cases, but this method is extremely wasteful of coloringniatter, since the face only need be colored, and is therefore quite expensive Another method has consisted in the application of a thin layer of colored clay to certain surfaces of the brick body, formed of uncolored' clay. Such bricks, however, are diflicult to form, and it is difficult to cause intimate adhesion between the surface and base portions and to maintain that adhesion during the burning of the brick. Another method which has been attempted has been the immersion of the partially burned brick in a coloring solution. There are, however, many colors which cannot properly be applied by means, of a solution and this method is expensive in that it involves several extra handlings of the bricks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for applying coloring to bricks and articles formed of similar plastic material.

It is a further object to provide such means which will require a minimum of coloring material; which will thoroughly work it into the surface, and which will not require any additional handling or working of the brick or brick-forming material over that now required in the formation of preferred types of face brick.

Broadly, my invention comprises the extrusion of the brick forming ribbon from dies, or the formation of the ribbon in any usual manner and the application thereto of coloring matter in any desired form. It'

thorough and works the coloring matter into I the surface.

In the accomplishment of this working of the material into the ribbon, I have found the machine covered by the joint patent 'to myself and G. Holmes, for brickmaking machine, Patent No. 1,191,925. granted July 18, 1916, to be particular] efficient. I have shown this machine in t e accompanying drawings in order to illustrate the application of my method, but it is to be understood that this machine in itself forms no part of the present invention, and is only one apparatus capable of performing my invention.

I have illustrated certain preferred apparatus for carrying out my method in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is an end elevation;

Figure 3 is an elevation showing an alternative form of coloring matter distributing means; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3.

As shown inv the drawings, the machine consists in the convevor 5 adapted to carry the ribbon of brick-forming material away from the die 6 from which it is extruded.

The hardened surface layers of the ribbon are cut away by the wires 8 and the particles of material cut by these wires are removed fromtheribbon by the plow-shaped member 9. The movable member 10 is carried above the ribbon and is provided with a large number of resilient steel bristles or fingers. 11. This member 10 is provided with a housing 33 adapted to' receive an eccentric carried by the shaft 12. The shaft 12 is driven by pulley 13 and is carried bythe side members. 14 which are connected by the cross members 15 to form a rectangularframe. This frame is supported upon columns-16 each of.

which carries at its upper end a fixed journal 17 through which anadjusting screw 18is passed. This screw carries a movable adj usting block 19 which bears against the lower face of the frame formed by the members 14 and 15, so that the frame may be raised or lowered to vary the'action upon the material.

The two ends of the member 10 are pivotedly connected -to the bell crank levers 20, which levers are pivoted upon the shafts 21. The upper arms of these two levers are connected by the rod 22. This construction assures a proper relative movement of the two ends of the member 10.

A similar pair of members 23 is located adjacent the sides of the ribbon of brickforming material and is operated by the pulley 24 upon the shaft 25.

The coloring matter distributing means 26 is supported from the end member 15 by the bracket 27, As shown in Figures 1 and 2. this means consists of .a member havin a horizontally extended portion 28 rovided with a plurality of perforations a ove the ribbon and an upwardly extending hopper portion 29. This portion 29 maybe connected to any source of supply of coloring matter.

An alternative form of colorin matter distributing hopper as shown'in igures 3 and 4 comprises a ho per decreasing in area to itsbottom, which is closed b a screen 30 of any desired, mesh, depen ing upon the fineness of the coloring. matter.

The additional material hoppers 32 are provided located adjacent the sides of the brick forming ribbon near the point of op eration of the members 23, and blowers 31 are placed to force the material coming from the hoppers against the sides of the ribbon, I I

In the operation of. the machine, the ribbon of brick-forming material is extruded from the dies 6, is trimmed by the wires 8 end cleanedby the plow 9. Coloring matter is then dropped on the ribbon of matestipple that surface, and form it with a plurality of short lines. Due to the re-. silience of the fingers or bristles they are bent as they engage the ribbon and as they move away from the ribbonin the actuation of the member 10, their resilience causes them to straighten and in so doing they pick small particles from the surface of material.

This continued working of the surface and the removal of particles of the material "not be applied simply by so that the brick will have ter either in solution or in suspension; or I the material may-be in'powdered or granular form. The means of applying the mate rial to the ribbon will vary somewhat according to its nature. I

If it is desired to color the sides'as well as the upper surface of the ribbon, the'coloring matter may be applied to the sides ,of

the ribbon before being worked by the fingers carried by the members 23. Since these sides are vertical the material canavity, but it will be necessary to provid a blower. as shown at 31. in connection with a hopper 32, in order to force the material to adhere sufiiciently to the moist surface of the ribbon to carry it under the action f the fingers or cut into bricks by a cutting device as is well I known in the art.

While I have shown one preferred form of apparatus for applying the material to the brick forming ribbon, it is to be understood that it may be applied in other-forms, the

essential feature of the inventionbeing the application ,of the coloring matter to the surface and working of it into the surface by mechanical action; I therefore contemplate such variations as are covered by the appended claims.

.I claim: I i 1. The method of coloring articles of lastic material, comprising applying colormg matter to the surfaces of the artlcles and working said matter into'the surface of the material by means of a plurality of fingers moved into and out of engagement with the surface.

2. The method of forming bricks with a colored surface, comprising forming a r1bbon of brick mater1a1, applying coloring matter to the surface thereof, imparting a linear movement to the ribbon, and working the surfaces-by means of a plurality of fingers moved intoand out of engagement with the ribbon. and thereafter cutting the bricks.

' bon. and thereafter cutting the ribbon into colored surface, comprising forming a. rib-- bon of brick material. applying coloring matter to the surface thereoi, imparting a linear movement to the ribbon, and Working the surfaces by means of aplurality of fingers moved into and out of engagement with the ribbon, the fingers having a different rate of movement from that of the ribbon, the fingers being resilient and tending to be distorted upon engagement with the ribbon whereby the ribbon is worked by the resilient strength of the fingers, and thereafter cutting the ribbon into bricks.

Signed at Danville= Illinois, this 21st day of February, 1921.

FRANK W. BUTTERWORTH. 

